It’s unlikely that James Wiseman will fall below the top five in the June draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports. The freshman center decided to leave Memphis on Thursday and sign with an agent to prepare for the draft.
Wiseman could have solidified his draft stock had he finished the college season on a high note after his 12-game NCAA suspension ended. However, he could have also slipped some if the Tigers had started losing games with Wiseman in the lineup. Givony continues. The lack of quality big men in a draft and the need of several lottery teams to add an impact big man could also help him, Givony adds.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Wiseman is expected to select Jeff Schwartz as his agent, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reports. The agent for Excel Sports has many high-profile NBA clients, including Blake Griffin, Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton, Kevin Love, Nikola Jokic and Andre Drummond, Deveney notes.
- It would be shocking if Wiseman and Anthony Edwards are not the top two picks in the draft, an NBA executive told Jeff Goodman of Goodman Hoops (Twitter link). Edwards, a freshman guard at Georgia, is averaging 19.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.2 SPG in 29.2 MPG while playing nine games with the Bulldogs.
- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame unveiled its list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2020 this week, according to a Hoop Hall press release. Among the noteworthy first-time nominees are Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley, Tamika Catchings and Swin Cash. The finalists for enshrinement will be unveiled during All-Star weekend and the inductees will be announced during the Final Four.
Pretty strong list of candidates to the HoF. For Kobe, Duncan, Garnett and Bosh it is a no-brainer, and even Shawn Marion should probably make it, even though perhaps not as a first-ballot inductee.
Maybe they will finally find room for Rudy Tomjanovich there?
Agreed…based upon playing, coaching and taking a punch.
Tomjanovich should already be in.
It’s insane that Rudy T isn’t in. I LOVE those two Rockets teams. Maybe my two favorite title runs ever.
Wiseman GSW no doubt.
You have Anthony Edwards linked to the wrong player in sports reference, fyi. You have him linked to a point guard from the 90s, Missouri st.